How to Obtain a Green Card

1. Office of Legal Counsel How to Obtain a Green Card

2. Agenda for Today’s Meeting • What Legal Permanent Residency (LPR) applications in the University typically involve, including Faculty and Other Academic Appointments (OAA) • The University’s internal process for requesting LPR sponsorship for someone in a staff position • Follow-up processes • Contact information

3. Categories or “Preferences” of LPR LPR = Lawful Permanent Residence aka the Green Card “Self-sponsored” categories: Aliens with extraordinary ability National Interest Waiver Do not require Labor Certification Do not require University approval The employee can pursue these on his/her own

4. Categories or “Preferences” of LPR, cont. Employment-based = University-sponsored categories: EB-1: - Extraordinary Ability - Outstanding Researcher/Professor EB-2: - Members of the professions holding advanced degrees (PERM, requires Labor Certification) - Aliens of exceptional ability in the sciences, arts or business (NIW)

5. Three Steps in LPR (PERM) Employment-based/University-sponsored LPR requires 3 steps: 1. Labor Certification 2. Immigrant Petition 3. Obtaining the Visa

6. The Labor Certification To obtain a Labor Certification, we (the University) must prove that there is no U.S. citizen who is able, willing, qualified and available to take the job. Detailed, legally prescribed process and posting in multiple media for extended periods of time are required. If any U.S. citizens apply who meet the criteria above, we cannot obtain a Labor Certification and the individual cannot obtain LPR in this category.

7. What does this mean for you?

8. Key Guidelines Minimum Requirements Staff Sponsorship of Foreign Nationals Policy • Department initiates the process • Employee employed by the University for at least 4 consecutive years • Exceptions approved by department leadership • Human Resource Services reviews department requests to commence the process • Only immigration attorneys approved by the Office of Legal Counsel • Costs borne by employee with the exception of costs the University is required to pay by law • No guarantees • Position requires 37.5 hours/week • Position requires a bachelor’s or higher degree or its equivalent and specialized and complex knowledge • Uniqueness of the position makes it difficult to recruit qualified applicants • Foreign national is uniquely qualified through experience, skill, and background

9. Department obtains Dean, unit VP, or designee’s approval and forwards approval to HRS. No

10. HRS Review of Applicant Pool HRS will review all applications to determine whether each applicant is able, willing, qualified and available to accept the position.* If the answer for any applicant is “yes” and that applicant is a U.S. citizen, the process ends there. *Qualified means “qualified” not “best qualified”

11. HRS Determines Whether To Approve Sponsorship Request Based On University Policy And Applicant Pool.

12. Exploring Options with OIA • A staff employee who will not be sponsored for LPR by the University should make an appointment with Tamara Felden or David Muusz at OIA to discuss alternate options, such as: • Alternate immigration statuses • Alternate strategies for obtaining LPR • Alternate career strategies for sponsorship at a later time

13. PERM: Faculty, OAA, Staff Extraordinary Ability, Outstanding Researcher, National Interest Waiver Process between Law firm and Department

14. REGULAR LABOR CERTIFICATION PROCESS

15. Pre-filing Requirement – RecruitmentPERM-OAA, Staff, Faculty (if filing outside of 18 mo. window) • Placement of job order with Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) for 30 days • Two (2) Sunday newspaper ads – can be consecutive Sundays (a professional journal ad may be used in lieu of one Sunday ad when an advanced degree + experience are required) • Posted notice – 10 consecutive business days • Use of Other In-House Media (i.e., Intranet)

16. Job Fairs Employer’s website Job search website On Campus Trade/Professional Organizations Employee Referral Program Recruitment Firms Local/Ethnic Newspaper Campus Placement Office Radio/TV Ads Additional Recruitment for Professional Occupations (3 of the following)

17. EXTRAORDINARY ABILITY, OUTSTANDING RESEARCHER, and NATIONAL INTEREST WAIVERS

18. Extraordinary Ability (EB-1A) • Requires sustained national or international acclaim • Also called the “Nobel Prize Category”

19. Extraordinary Ability Criteria You must meet 3 out of the 10 listed criteria below to prove extraordinary ability in your field: • Evidence of receipt of lesser nationally or internationally recognized prizes or awards for excellence • Evidence of your membership in associations in the field which demand outstanding achievement of their members • Evidence of published material about you in professional or major trade publications or other major media  • Evidence that you have been asked to judge the work of others, either individually or on a panel • Evidence of your original scientific, scholarly, artistic, athletic, or business-related contributions of major significance to the field • Evidence of your authorship of scholarly articles in professional or major trade publications or other major media  • Evidence that your work has been displayed at artistic exhibitions or showcases  • Evidence of your performance of a leading or critical role in distinguished organizations  • Evidence that you command a high salary or other significantly high remuneration in relation to others in the field • Evidence of your commercial successes in the performing arts

20. Analysis of Eligibility of Potential Extraordinary Ability (EB-1A) Cases • One time achievement OR 3 of 10 criteria • Is meeting 3 of 10 criteria enough? • Can a postdoc be eligible? • How many citations are enough?

21. Outstanding Researcher or Professor  (EB-1B) • Evidence of receipt of major prizes or awards for outstanding achievement  • Evidence of membership in associations that require their members to demonstrate outstanding achievement  • Evidence of published material in professional publications written by others about the alien's work in the academic field • Evidence of participation, either on a panel or individually, as a judge of the work of others in the same or allied academic field • Evidence of original scientific or scholarly research contributions in the field  • Evidence of authorship of scholarly books or articles (in scholarly journals with international circulation) in the field

22. Analysis of Eligibility of Potential Outstanding Researcher (EB-1B) Cases • Internationally recognized as outstanding • Conference session chair • Conference technical committee • Several invited talks • Numerous citations • Items published about your work: editorials, Science Daily, etc.

23. National Interest Waiver (EB-2) • Exceptional Ability • Work in an area of substantial intrinsic merit; • Work must have a benefit which will be national in scope; and, • Work serves the national interest to a substantially greater degree than would an available U.S. worker having the same minimum qualifications/ The national interest would be adversely affected if a labor certification were required for the beneficiary.

24. National Interest Waiver • What does exceptional ability mean to USCIS? • record of specific prior achievement in the field • Standing out from your peers • Awards • Record of Achievement • Is genetics in the national interest? • Are 5 citations too few?

25. I-140 Form + Supporting Docs • Extraordinary Ability/NIW: requires no sponsorship, I-140 form signed by foreign national • OR: requires sponsorship, I-140 form signed by University • Supporting documents gathered by foreign national • Letter confirming employment with University signed by Department (template provided) • Once I-140 approved, you still have to file I-485 (green card application) to complete process

26. Current Issues • Elimination of per country limitations • Will there be a “point system”?

27. And finally… Your questions

28. Contact Information

29. Office of Legal Counsel How to Obtain a Green Card